Jason Mack
Counselor for Economic and Social Affairs
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
November 16, 2020
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Chairperson.
The United States applauds Mexico’s handling of the technical rollover process of this resolution.
The United States disassociates from OP81. Regarding references to the World Health Organization, on May 29, 2020, President Trump announced the United States is terminating its relationship with the WHO and redirecting foreign assistance funding planned for the WHO to other deserving organizations and urgent health needs around the world. The United States submitted a notice of withdrawal from the WHO, which will become effective on July 6, 2021.
The United States also disassociates from OP109, because it incorrectly describes the treaty-mandated role of the International Narcotics Control Board, and does not reflect the latest updated consensus language on this vital issue as represented in resolution 62/8 from the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The United States fully supports the INCB’s treaty-mandated role, including to endeavor to limit the cultivation, production, manufacture, and use of drugs to an adequate amount required for medical and scientific purposes; to ensure their availability for such purposes; and to prevent illicit cultivation, production, and manufacture of, and illicit trafficking in and use of, drugs. It is not the INCB’s role to monitor State Party compliance with the drug conventions, as OP 109 would suggest, but rather to cooperate with States Parties in their efforts to achieve the aims of the drug control treaties by monitoring substances under international control. Maintaining the incorrect text in the 2020 omnibus ignores the recent consensus in Vienna and undermines the treaty-mandated functions of the CND to make recommendations for the implementation of the aims and provisions of the three international drug conventions. It is essential that this resolution remain relevant by including the most accurate and updated consensus language from Vienna. We hope to be able to make this important correction in next year’s text.
We addressed further concerns in a general statement delivered on November 13, 2020.
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